The Cubs do not need Manny M. He has no intention in signing long term. I visualize that if they make the trade, he will have a big year and just drive up his price. Not interested in a bidding war when we have very capable players to play the position.

If the cost was only Russell and Montgomery I would make the trade in a heartbeat even if it was only for one year of Machado.

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a mans determination
-Tommy Lasorda

Really strange off season. Top 4 free agent pitchers are still on the market, some big bats and some players expected to be traded. I continue to search different MLB rumor sites and there is NOTHING going on. I still think the Cubs will sign a starting pitcher and most likely it will be Lynn or Cobb. The agent for Cobb probably over priced him but in time it will come down. I don't see a bidding war for Arrietta or Darvish from the Cubs, but as I said before nothing is going on with any of these pitchers.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

I was listening to Bruce Levine and he doesn't think Darvish or Arrieta is going to find a 6 year contract and may not find a 5 year. He is hearing that if Arrieta falls to a 4 year contract the Cubs will be in touch with him. How about a 4th straight NLCS and 2nd World Series!

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

So what will Cubs do? Listening to experts, some say they need to go and get Lance Lynn and Addison Reed. Trading for Archer would be expensive, costing us a couple starters. Arrieta and Darvish at $25M year and long term is too much. So what will we do?

So what will Cubs do? Listening to experts, some say they need to go and get Lance Lynn and Addison Reed. Trading for Archer would be expensive, costing us a couple starters. Arrieta and Darvish at $25M year and long term is too much. So what will we do?

I don’t think the Archer trade will ever happen. I do believe if they can get either Arrieta or Darvish at 4 years at $25 million per they will do that. Ending up with Lynn wouldn’t surprise me at all.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

A couple items from Nightengale. Something I heard interesting from Levine today was the Cards are also kicking the tires on Arrieta.

In his column on the molasses-slow free agent market, Bob Nightengale of USA Today drops a few nuggets of information. The Padres’ offer to free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer would promise him seven years, says Nightengale. Meanwhile, top open-market slugger J.D. Martinez is sitting on a five-year offer from the Red Sox. In other chatter, Nightengale suggests the Cubs could be willing to go as high as $110MM over four years to bring back Jake Arrieta.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

Darvish will command more. Most believe that if the right pitching coach gets Darvish, they can tweak his delivery and make him another Verlander.

Many baseball people still believe Darvish will end up with the Cubs. Theo doesn't like being snubbed by players, so I believe Cobb has been lowered to the 4th choice on the Cubs list.

For what Cobb wanted he shouldnt even be on the list to be honest

I agree! I try never to miss hit n run on Saturday mornings, and this morning I found to be very interesting. They explained Theo right now has about 8 different scenarios for the free agent market or trades. They brought up one I hadn't heard of. If the Cubs don't get Darvish or Arrieta, they would look into a cheaper option as a starter ( Cobb or Lynn ) and then make a run at Cain. There is no doubt the Cubs don't fully think that Almora can be their everyday CF. The other thing that was talked about was that Darvish would definitely get more years then Arrieta, which has been reported before. There are also reports that the Cubs did have some sort of conversation with the Padres involving Baez, but it didn't go very far. It will be interesting over the next 12 months how many of the young core will be traded away. Just making a guess I would say 2. I have to stick with Baez and Schwarber since that has been my guess all along, but wouldn't surprise me if Happ was moved.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

I heard a sports report today saying Cubs are pursuing Cain. I think they need a lead off man, and that is why they are looking at Cain. I like Almora, and he has been groomed as our future center fielder forever. Also heard that Alex Cobb rejected Cubs initial offer of 3 year/42 million at the request of his agent. Heard he wants him to get that 4th year. Greedy agent!

I heard a sports report today saying Cubs are pursuing Cain. I think they need a lead off man, and that is why they are looking at Cain. I like Almora, and he has been groomed as our future center fielder forever. Also heard that Alex Cobb rejected Cubs initial offer of 3 year/42 million at the request of his agent. Heard he wants him to get that 4th year. Greedy agent!

Just read that the agent for Cobb has told interested teams he wants 4 years at $70 million. Good Luck, especially with the bigger names out there, and many of the bigger markets not spending money on free agent pitchers.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

I think Darvish is trying to play Theo and the Cubs, and this isn’t your fathers Cubs. The list he put out there of the 6 teams he says is interested in his service isn’t close to being real. You could easily eliminate 3 of them immediately and you could argue the number could be 4 for elimination.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

Cobb might get a 4/60 deal with Cubs only because of Hickey. It might set the tone, as I think Darvish and Arrieta are still looking at the 4/100 plus which they are not worth that. Getting it and worth it are two different things. Theo is a little smarter and as spring training gets closer, I think they have the advantage over the overpriced and over ego agents. Agents are holding families hostage as spring training nears.

A couple interesting things from Bruce Levine today. The Cubs reportedly have a 3 year $45 million contract out there for Cain, and he says currently there are no teams offering 4 years. If that is the case I hope they get a signature ASAP.
He also said there are still very few teams talking to Arrieta and the ones that are has not offered over 4 years. Maybe many of the writers are correct that this free agent class has pitchers that are good but not great.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

Take another team off the market for a free agent starter, as Cole has been traded to the Astros. I have a gut feeling when the season starts that Arrieta with be back with the Cubs. The competition for all the starters are starting to dwindle.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...

Another week and the Cubs haven’t signed a starter yet. Was talking to a friend of mine today and even though nobody seems to know much on the market right now, this is how I would rank each pitcher going to the Cubs. This has been a strange off season for free agents.

1) Darvish I think the Cubs will finally get to the price and years their comfortable with and Darvish will sign.
2) Cobb Will he finally understand what he is really worth before the Cubs sign another starter? This could of been done long agao.
3) Arrieta This is the player that really confuses me on this list. Will a team offer a 5 year deal and if not will he feel slighted by signing at 4 years with the Cubs?
4) Archer We have heard this trade was going to be made for the last couple seasons. I see no reason to explore this anymore for what it would cost.
5) Lynn His name hasn’t come up at all so he will probably be the pitcher signed by the Cubs.

Really excited for another Cubs season to start.

roadtrip wrote:
What is an ELO rating
Dogsrus
It's based on if you liked or didn't like their music...